


A Better World

by Idiosyncrasies



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-07
Updated: 2012-12-07
Packaged: 2017-11-20 12:45:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/585565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idiosyncrasies/pseuds/Idiosyncrasies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Henry doesn't like to sleep. Neither does Regina.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Better World

Of the many difficulties of raising a child, Regina found that her biggest hurdle with Henry was getting him to sleep. He tended to fuss all night, and when he could talk, he put his frustrations into words:

"I don't like sleep," he said almost every night.

Almost every night, Regina replied with, "No, but you need it to be healthy."

This did not change for months, until one night, Henry found a new argument:

"You don't sleep. Why do I need to?"

Regina had been surprised--this was not the first time Henry had caught onto something she tried to hide--but she responded smoothly enough:

"I have trouble sleeping." That was true.

"And..." she added as she tucked Henry in, "that's because I never got into the habit of it when I was your age. I don't want you to end up like me."

She didn't like lying to Henry, but the phrase "necessary evil" came to mind. It was the mantra she swallowed with breakfast, with lunch, with dinner; it was the thing she tried to believe as she stared into the mirror every morning. It wasn't all a lie, anyway--but the extent of it was not a story she ever wanted Henry to hear.

She could never sit her son down and say, "Mommy gets nightmares."

Regina could never tell her son that she had dreams--sometimes good dreams!--of another world, a better world, where she was Queen, Daniel was alive again, and she used her powers for something like good. In her dreams, she could save Daniel. In her dreams, there were monsters, and he was weak but she was strong, and she could destroy them. She did destroy them. She tore down everything that threatened him. And at the end, she would finally get to him, whole and alive, heart beating in his chest. She would kiss him and the darkness would fold back against their love.

She was the hero.

Sometimes, in these better worlds, Henry was there. She kept them both safe. That was her job. 

Regina could never tell Henry why she did all of the things she did, because she hoped to all of the gods that he would never understand her position, that he would never understand how it hurt to look anywhere and see the space where your lover once stood, how people go and take your heart with them.

She could never tell Henry because he would never believe it. But she hoped, if he asked one day, she could tell him the truth.

_Everything I do, Henry, I do for you. In this world, a better world, I can keep you safe. Here, the magic will never hurt you like it hurt Daniel. Here, there are no monsters. Here, I have a chance to do something right._

**Author's Note:**

> This was a really quick drabble, so it's not my best. If people like it, I may revisit it or add more. Idunno.


End file.
